Switch



V 2 sheets-sheet 1. I. C O O K.

(No Model.)

SWITCH.

Patented Nov. 8, 1892.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2. I. COOK.

SWITCH.

(No Model.)

No. 485,786. Patented Nov. 8, 1892.

l I /////A UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IRVING COOK, OF FALL RIVER, MASSACHUSETTS.

SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 485,786, dated November8, 1892.

Application filed April 13, 1892.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, IRVING COOK, of the city of Fall River, in thecounty of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Switches; and I hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification.

This invention has reference to improvements in automaticrailway-switches.

The object of the invention is to produce a railway-switch which may beoperated by mechanism carried by an approaching car, whether drawn byhorses or driven by any motive power.

The invention consists in the peculiar construction and arrangement ofthe automatic switching device and the combination therewith of thenovel actuating-plungers located at a distance therefrom and connectedtherewith by suitable shafts for operating said switch, as willhereinafter be more fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 represents a portion of a road-bed provided with rails and aswitch operated by my improved device. Fig. 2 represents a portion of acar, partlyin section, showing means by which the switch-actuatingplungers may be depressed carried on the truck of said car and operatedfrom the platform. Fig. 3 represents a cross-sectional view of acar-platform and a lever pivoted thereto for depressing the cams bywhich the connecting-rods are operated. Fig. 4. represents across-sectional view of the track and switch and the chamber locatedbelow the same for operat ing the switch. Fig. 5 represents across-sectional view showing the plungers and the shafts by which theswitching mechanism is operated.

Similar numbers of reference designate corresponding parts throughout.

In the drawings, 8 8 indicate the rails of a street or other railway, 9being a frog, and 10 a switch connecting the main line with a branchline. These are of the usual construction and, if desirable, a switchsimilar to 10 may be substituted for the frog 9 when it is necessary toconnect the main line of rails with two lines branching from the samepoint.

Located below the surface of the roadway Serial No. 428 936. (No model.)

is a case or chamber 11, which is provided with a cover forming part ofthe roadway. This cover is provided with a slot 12, through which therod 13 extends, and is secured to the pivoted tongue 10' of the switchto throw the same. When a double switch is used, it becomes necessary toprovide two slots, similar to 12, at opposite sides of the cover, andtwo rods 13, the lower ends of which are secured in the reciprocatingbar 14. The reciprocating bar 14. is supported in the guide 15 and isprovided with a central upwardlyextending member 16, the upper end ofwhich is tapered. The shaft 17 is secured in the ends of the chamber 11and extends in a direction parallel to the road-bed, and on this shaftis journaled the cross-arm 18, the ends of which are pivotally connectedby the links 19 with the inner portions of the thrust-arms 20 and 21,having their lower surfaces curved upwardly at the ends and clamped tothe shafts 22 and 23. These shafts are journaled in the ends of thechamber 11 and extend parallel to the track, their rear ends beingjournaled in the plunger-chamber 24,thoseportions of these shaftsbetween the two chambers being contained within suitable casings. To theshafts 22 and 23, inside theplunger-chamber 24., are secured the levers25 and 26, and engaging with these levers are bent shoulders 27, formed011 or secured to the plungers 28 and 29,the upper ends of which extendthrough guide-slots in the cover of this chamber a short distance abovethe surface thereof, the lower ends of the plunger being provided withpins 30, vertically movable in perforations in the bottom of thechamber, and the removal of the plunger from the chamber being preventedby the stops 31, formed on said plungers. The cover of the chamber may,however, be taken off and the plunger examined or removed at will. Bythe depression of the plunger 28 the shaft 22 will be partially rotatedby the engagement of the shoulder 27 with the lever 25, and the curvedsurface of the thrust-arm 20 will ride against the tapering surface ofthe member 16 to thrust that member and the bar 14., carrying the rod13, to the left, and the upper end of this red is secured to theswitch-tongue 10, which will be thrown in the same direction.

The depression of the plungers 28 and 29 may be accomplished by anymeans, and by the construction shown the plungers may be located somedistance from the switch and the switch operated some time before thecar reaches the same.

To more clearly indicate the means for operating my improved switch, Ihave shown a portion of a car carrying a device for depressing theplungers 28 and 29, consisting of rollers 32, which are horizontallyjournaled on shafts carried by the lower ends of bars 33, two of whichare carried in guides at the forward end of a car-truck and arevertically movable therein. The upper ends of these bars are enlarged,and these enlargements have diagonal slots 34, which are engaged by thepin-s 35 ontthe reciprocatingrarms 36, the rear end of each of which isbent downward and is movably held in a strap 37, secured to the upperportion of the truck-frame 38. The forward ends of the arms 36 arepivotally connected by spring -operated connecting rods with arms 39,longitudinally movable in and supported by straps 40, which are securedto the bottom of the car-platform. These arms 39 have transverse pins 41in the forward ends thereof, which engage in diagonal slots 42, providedin the lower ends of the springlifted plungers 43 and 44, which may bedepressed by foot-pressure or by a lever 45,pivoted to the car-platformand having suitable extensions adapted to bear on either of saidplungers. A rack 46 may also be provided for securing the lever in anyposition. The depression of either plunger 43 or 44 will move either ofthe slots 42 over the-pins 41 and will force the arms 39 backward andmove the pins 35 to the rear and upper ends of the slots 34, thusdepressing the bars 33 to a position where either of the rolls 32 willpress against the exposed end of the plunger 28 or 29, located on thecorresponding side of the track, which will be depressed thereby andoperate the proper shaft 22 or 23 to throw the switch to right or left.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. In an automatic railway-switch, the combination,with a track and a switch connected therewith, having a pivotedswitch-tongue, of a casing 11, located below said switch and providedwith a cover, a central longitudinal shaft secured in said casing, across-arm journaled on said shaft, thrust-arms pivotally connected withthe ends of said cross-arms, rotatable shafts journaled in said casing,extending beyond the same and carrying the thrust-blocks, areciprocating bar movable in guides, a vertical rod secured to said barand to the switch-tongue, a vertical member on said bar against whichthe thrust-arms may bear, and means for partially rotating saidlast-mentioned shaft, as described.

2. In a switch for a railway having a main line, a branch line, and aswitch connecting the two, the combination, with the casing 11, thereciprocating bar 14, movable in the guide and having the member 16, arod 13, secured to the bar 14, extending through a slot in the cover ofthe case and secured to the switch-tongue, the shafts 22 and 23,journaled in the ends of said casing, the thrust-arms and 21, secured tosaid shafts and adapted to bear against the member 16, a cross-arm 18,

'journaled on the shaft 17, and links connecting the ends of thecross-arm with the thrust arms, of a casing 24,int0 which the shafts 22'and 23 extend, the levers and 26, securedto said shafts, the plungers 28and 29, vertically movable in said casing and extendingthrough slots inthe cover, and the bent shoul-' ders 27, secured to said pluugers andadapted to engage said levers 25 and 26, as described.

IRVING COOK.

Witnesses:

J OSEPI-I A. MILLER, J r., HENRY J. MILLER.

